


Insomniatic (Are You This Restless Too?)

by silverNebulae



Series: REM Pairing Universes [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Dreams, Dreamsharing, Falling In Love, I have no idea how many though, I'm sorry if this flops, Light Angst, Lucid Dreaming, Minor Injuries, Multi, There will be feels, Tony's business makes technology like Sony or Apple or Microsoft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2014-04-17
Packaged: 2018-01-17 22:23:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1404712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverNebulae/pseuds/silverNebulae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As young children, Steve and Tony have always had strange dreams about a life they don't live. When those dreams start interfering with their day-to-day life, it's up to them to figure out what path they want to take and whether they want to take it together. Under a secret organization, they can find out just what their dreams actually mean.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all, yes I know I'm uploading another fic when I should be working on the others but I just haven't had any solid ideas for those yet and you know what happens when ideas strike you and won't leave you alone. I've started this one in advance so I'm a few chapters ahead of the uploaded amount, hopefully meaning that updates will be quick (no promises I'm afraid). If you have any questions, my tumblr ask box is always open at stonytime.tumblr.com :) Hope you like it so far
> 
> Title is taken from Insomniatic by Aly & AJ.

**_T 13; S 14_ **

“Goodnight Tony” Maria smiled, her finger poised on the light switch.

“Night Mom” Steve yawned and closed his eyes as she flicked the bedroom light off and closed the door behind her.

His ears followed the woman's footsteps downstairs as she joined a man in the hall who was calling her name.

“I'm here, Howard. Hush or you'll wake Tony” She scolded quietly.

“Maria, you've only just put the boy to bed” Howard murmured as he pulled his gloves on, “Now, let's go”.

He heard the front door open and the two step out, closing the door behind them. Steve wanted to get out of bed and follow them, but the dream had shifted and he was sat in a dining chair in a kitchen.

“I'm sorry Tony, sometimes these things happen. Your parents be missed but they'll always be with you, yes?” A bald man in a suit sympathized, and Steve nodded before he continued, “Don't worry, ol' Obadiah will watch over you”.

Steve felt his mouth open as he croaked out some words, “I'm tired, I think I'll go have a quick nap”.

“Yeah, good idea. Growing boy of 13 needs his rest after all. I'll be here when you wake up” Obadiah nodded, as Steve stood up and dragged himself upstairs to his room.

He lay down and curled up, his emotions frozen and heavy. He closed his eyes, desperate to feel some comfort but even as he awoke out the dream and opened his eyes, a sadness washed over him and he felt a tear rolling down his face.

Steve sat up in his own bed and wiped it away, looking at the glowing moonlight shining in his curtains. He drew the bed covers away and jumped out, heading to the bathroom quietly. Turning on the tap, Steve looked at himself in the cabinet mirror above the sink and saw two dark circles beginning to form under his eyes. He scooped up some warm water and washed his face, feeling the heavy sadness from the dream finally melt away. He gave a deep sigh and heard a noise from outside the open door.

“Steve?” His Aunt called gently.

“Yeah?” He responded, scolding himself mentally for waking her up.

“Are you okay?” She asked, the haze of sleep clear in her voice.

“Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry I'm going back to bed” He answered before drying his face and turning the light off.

“Alright, well try and get some sleep” She spoke quieter.

“I will, goodnight” He whispered, walking back to his room.

“Goodnight, dear” She wished and Steve closed his door behind him.

He climbed back into bed and lay down, but didn't feel sleep approach him. In defeat, he sat back up and took his sketchbook and pencil from the table next to him, turning his bedside lamp on. He began sketching out the shape of the bald man, Obadiah, from his dream. He drew the outlines and began to shade in his suit, before a yawn emerged and he felt his energy dropping again. He put the sketchbook back where it was and lay back down to sleep, turning his lamp back off and pulling the covers over his shoulders.

**

“Thanks for coming, Ms Rogers” Steve's principal shook his Aunt's hand as they took their seats.

“Has something happened?” She asked, concern on her face but her voice remaining calm as always.

“Nothing serious, Mr Rogers isn't in trouble” His teacher assured, sitting between Steve and the principal, “I just thought it best to bring something to your attention”.

“Steven has been...distracted in class lately and today, one of his teachers caught him drawing in lesson. As much as we are aware he enjoys his art, never has he been seen drawing in other classes. The teacher was also concerned by the fact he seems so...tired” The principal explained.

“I see. He _has_ had a bit of trouble sleeping lately, haven't you dear?” His Aunt, patted his back and Steve nodded.

“Well, we thought it best to speak to you since the distractions led to what they did. Steven's a smart boy and we wouldn't want him to fall back” The principal nodded.

“Thank you, I'm glad I was told. If that's all, we best be heading off” His Aunt stood and the principal stood too.

“Of course, thank you Ms Rogers” He shook her hand again and she shepherded Steve out the room.

As they got outside the building, she turned to Steve and stopped him. “Steve, can I see what you drew in class?” She asked and the blond pulled his sketchbook out his backpack. He flipped to the page she wanted and handed it over. “Who's this?” She questioned gently.

“His name is Obadiah” Steve answered honestly.

“Do you know him?” His Aunt asked.

“No, I've never met him” Steve shrugged.

“Did you make him up?” She raised an eyebrow.

“No. He was in my dream” Steve admitted.

She gave a quiet sigh, “Is it Tony? Is he back?”.

Steve paused, but then nodded and she hugged him, “Oh Steve. What was the dream about?”.

“It started with Tony's mom wishing me goodnight and his parents going out. Next minute, Obadiah said they were gone and he was going to look after me. I went to have a nap and woke up” Steve explained, “I think...they died, when they went out”.

“Steve” His Aunt sighed, “Do you miss your parents? Is that why Tony's are gone?”.

“No, I felt fine before the dream. When I woke up, I thought about them for a moment. Like I sympathized with him and felt sad about my own parents, but it wore off and I'm okay again” Steve confessed.

His Aunt patted his shoulder, “You poor thing, come on let's get you home. I can't imagine you want to stay outside your high-school and discuss this, hm?”.


	2. Chapter 2

**_T 17; S 18_ **

Tony dropped his flowers next to the gravestone while Obadiah dropped his. They stood there for a moment, in thought and the world continued on around them.

Then Obadiah turned to walk away, “Come on, Tony”.

“I'll be right there, I just need a minute. I'll meet you by the car” Tony nodded and Obadiah hesitantly left him alone. Tony made sure he was alone and crouched down, speaking quietly, “Hey, it's me again. Same as every year. Brought you some fresh flowers, violet this time. You probably already know this but...things are a bit tricky lately”. He paused, feeling the wind blow past and try to relax him, “I can't put my finger on exactly what's bothering me but passing that, I thought I'd share some good news. I'm officially a graduate, MIT bred and ready for the world. I'm sure that'll make _you_ happy Dad, if anything. Mom...I think you should know, Steve's back. I haven't dreamt about him in a while but he's returned it seems. Anyway, I won't bother you with my earthly problems and I better get going. Rest well”. He patted the gravestone and then turned to join Obadiah in the car.

**

“I'm hard-working and a fast learner” Steve continued as the employer flicked through his paperwork.

The employer nodded, “That's good”. He looked Steve up and down once more, “I'll be honest, you're the best who's walked through those doors today and think you'll do well here. How would you feel about starting next week?”.

Steve couldn't believe his ears, “Really? I'd be ecstatic”.

The employer smiled, “Good, in that case...you begin Monday. Be here for 9am”. He dropped the papers back in front of Steve and the blond picked them back up.

“Great! Thank you so much, I'll do my best” Steve assured, shaking his new boss' hand and smiling as he left the building.

As he headed back home, he dug out his mobile phone and dialled his Aunt's number. She picked up after three rings, “Steve?”.

“Yeah, it's me. I got the job!” Steve grinned and he heard her cheer.

“That's great news! I'm so proud of you Steve” She laughed.

“Yeah, now I can start helping you out” He agreed.

She sighed but still sounded happy, “Steve I don't know why you're in such a rush to get into work. Things aren't _that_ bad, don't you wanna enjoy your childhood a little longer?”.

“It's okay, I'm an adult now. I've had a childhood, thanks to you. It's time I started to do my share” Steve assured her.

“Oh Steve, you truly are an angel on Earth” She chuckled, “I'm just finishing up my last job here so I'll see you at the house”.

“Alright, see you soon” He smiled and ended the call.

When he reached the house and went inside, his Aunt still wasn't home which surprised him. Even so he headed into the kitchen and had some toast, his recent constant hunger creeping up on him again. He flopped down into his armchair by the window and watched as little drops of rain started to fall. He smiled at the shower, feeling himself relax and hope his Aunt hadn't forgotten her umbrella. He didn't remember falling asleep, but the next thing he knew he was back as Tony, sitting in a flash car with Obadiah again.

“So what took you so long?” Stane asked as he clicked away on his phone.

Tony was looking out the window as he answered, “Nothing, I was talking to my parents like I always do when we visit their grave”.

“Oh? What did you say?” Obadiah asked, though Steve thought it was kind of a nosy question. Then again, by the clicking of his phone he wasn't really listening.

“Not much” Tony shrugged, “Just told them I graduated and how things are going...and about Steve”.

The last part came out as a mumble but Obadiah still caught it. His head shot up, “Steve? Who's Steve?”. Tony turned his gaze to Obadiah who paused but spoke up again, “Is he some kind of--?”.

“ _No_. He's...a dream. I haven't exactly told you about it but I suppose that was going to change eventually...”. Tony began to explain.

Steve awoke with a shake and saw his Aunt standing above him, her hand on his shoulder. “Steve? Are you okay dear?” She asked and Steve rubbed his eyes.

“Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't realise I was asleep” He admitted, his voice a little rougher than he expected.

His Aunt chuckled, “Catching up on some rest is good for you. Are you alright, you woke up a little shaken...?”.

Steve's eyes narrowed as he remembered the dream and called out to his Aunt who was now in the kitchen, “I think so it's just...remember when we said that Tony might be some kind of past-life or something?”.

“Yes of course. Loads of people said that some people dream of who they were before they were reincarnated and you researched it” His Aunt agreed.

“Well, I don't think he's a past-life after all...” Steve winced.

“What makes you say that?” She questioned.

“The fact that...I think he knows who I am” Steve admitted.

With that, his Aunt came back into the room, “What? What do you mean? D'you think he's a real person?”.

“Yeah. I know it may sound crazy but, he said my name. He said how a guy named Steve was a dream...” Steve explained.

His Aunt looked shocked, “So...you think there's a guy called Tony who's dreaming of a guy called Steve?”.

Steve nodded slowly, being totally honest. His Aunt blinked, “I don't know what to say. I can't really get my head around this whole thing either”.

“I know, it's confusing. Maybe it's worth forgetting?” Steve shrugged.

“Maybe. I guess it's worth waiting it out a little” His Aunt nodded and Steve gave a sigh.

Who was this Tony? If he was real, there was someone out there having the same weird dream-pattern as Steve and maybe, they had answers? Steve decided to put to the back of his mind, but hope that Tony knew what was going on kept the thought alive. But even if Tony knew the answers, how would he ever ask someone he'd never met?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter but don't worry, I'll update again real soon :) Thanks for the kudos and comments so far, they keep me writing <3

**_T 25; S 26_ **

“Tony? Tony, are you crying?” Pepper asked as she entered his workshop and dropped a coffee by him.

Tony sat up and coughed, coming back to the world. He felt the moisture on his cheeks and around his eyelids that Pepper had spoke of, and wiped them away with his wrist. He sipped the coffee that she'd brought and sighed, “Not my tears. I was asleep”.

“Steve's? What was it?” Pepper asked, raising an eyebrow as she dropped some paperwork off as well. 

“It's his Aunt. Remember how I said she died about two years ago? Someone he hasn't seen in ages found him and they started reminiscing. He got a little upset a while after” Tony explained, rubbing his eyes with the bottom of his palms.

Pepper sighed, “I see. You feeling okay?”.

“Hm? Yeah, the feeling goes away when I wake up” Tony reminded.

“Yeah, yeah I know I just thought I'd ask anyway” Pepper nodded, “Well, I've just dropped off some papers for you to sign and they need to be _done_. I'd stay and make sure you do them but I've got other pressing issues. Try not to fall asleep down here, you have a bed”.

“Right, right. Go see to your 'pressing issues', I'm not getting into trouble” Tony joked.

Pepper snorted as she left the workshop, “You're always getting into trouble”.

He sipped his coffee, waiting for her to leave and eyeing up the tools he was about to use, making a mental note. He heard the familiar click and put his coffee to one side. “JARVIS” Tony called, alerting the AI.

“Yes, Sir?” It responded as he lifted himself up and shook off the remnants of his nap.

Tony looked around and began picking up different parts he would need, “I'm starting a new project, set me up would you?”

**

At lunchtime, it was relatively quiet on the store floor. Steve was sat alone in the staff room, eating a BLT sub and reading the newspaper he found on the table. The TV was on in the background but he wasn't really listening. The new shoes he was wearing were starting to rub his feet a little, making him glad he didn't have a long shift after lunch. His boss came into the room, a fresh jar of coffee beans in his hand.

“Good thing you brought that, I used the last up” Steve admitted with a wry smile.

The boss chuckled as he set the jar down, “I hope you don't mind a change in brand”.

Steve shook his head as he folded the newspaper again and put it back on the table. His boss joined him by the chairs and took the remote from the table, before turning it up. He tutted, “Trust me to come in during commercials”. Steve chuckled as the pictures flickered in his line of sight, but it was a voice that caught his attention. It spoke over images of a young blonde girl going about everyday life and using her mobile phone to take pictures and write with a word processor. 

It was an elderly man's voice, wise and searching, and it sounded like something that had been recorded decades ago, “Dreams are a vision, that much is certain. A vision into imagination, a vision into the future for some and more often than not, a vision into our hearts. They can define us, shape us, enlighten us, raise us...inspire us. We may think we know all there is to know about dreams...and then they surprise us. Dreams keep us safe, we can experience things we may never be able to in reality and remain just as unharmed as when we fell asleep. It's these factors that make technology and dreams similar, and to some...technology, is a dream come true”.

A woman's voice took over, “Keep _your_ dreams safe. Starkphone6R with new Rescue Shield technology”. A symbol came up on the screen that looked like a target with a star in the centre. It shrank and placed itself on the back of the phone case before the commercial ended. Steve's mouth was wide open as he shot up from his seat, recognising the symbol on the television.

“Steve? You okay son?” His boss asked, looking at the blond.

Steve hurriedly reached in his bag for his sketchbook and flipped the pages until he found what he was looking for. He tried to speak but he couldn't find words, just murmurs.

“What's wrong Steve?” The boss asked a little worriedly. 

“I just--” Steve finally began but before he could finish, a darkness enveloped him and he felt his body fall to the ground.

“Steve?!” A voice called out, as his eyes flickered open again.

He groaned, “Huh?”.

“Oh thank god. You okay?” His boss sighed, helping him sit up against the chair and handing him a glass of water from the table.

Steve took a sip, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “I-I think so. What happened?”.

“I'm not too sure. One minute you were rushing around and the next, bam, you fainted. You were out for about a minute, I got some water for when you come around” He explained and Steve shook his head slightly, “Is something wrong? Have you been overworking yourself?”.

“No, I've been fine. Haven't even felt any strains or anything” The blond answered and his boss frowned.

“What were you looking at? Can I see?” He asked and Steve nodded, reaching for the sketchbook again.

He handed it over while explaining his surprise, “I designed that. No one but me has seen it and I drew it months ago”.

The boss's eyes widened as he observed the same shield design from the commercial,“Woah...I...”.

“I know, I can't believe it either” Steve admitted as he hauled himself up. He still felt a little dizzy and wobbled slightly.

“Easy there, son” His boss advised, “You sure you're okay? Maybe it's worth taking the rest of the day off”.

“Oh no, it's fine. It was just a sudden thing” Steve assured but his boss shook his head.

“No, no Steve. I think you should rest up and come back tomorrow. Even if you don't want to listen to the friend in me, listen to the manager. Store rules” The boss joked and Steve smiled wryly.

“Alright, thanks. I'll come in early tomorrow” Steve nodded and the boss smiled.

“Just take care of yourself, hm?” He requested and Steve saluted as he got his things and left.

As he walked out the store and down the high-street, Steve walked past a Stark store and couldn't help himself from going inside. He couldn't place the blame purely on himself, the warmth was very inviting and the doors were wide open, beckoning him in. His wondering eyes looked around at all the animated displays and modern design that filled the store.

“Welcome sir, can I help you today?” A woman wearing the iconic Stark technologies employee t-shirt asked.

Steve smiled at her, trying to figure out just what he came in for in the first place, “Erm, no but thank you”. She nodded and went to stand aside, but he spoke up again, “Actually, could you point me in the direction of the 6R?”.

She smiled kindly, “Certainly, they're at the back, on the right side”. She pointed with her finger and Steve nodded.

“Thanks” He smiled back and headed in the direction she had pointed out.

There were two models on display, one in red and the other in blue. In the description, Steve could see there were seven colours available in total; Red, Blue, Green, Purple, Silver, White and Black. He picked up the blue model and flipped it over, his mind realising why he was here. There it was, the same drawing from his sketchbook right in the left corner of this smart-phone. He let out an unbelieving sigh and returned the phone to the stand, guiding himself back out the store.

When he got home, he instantly hurried to the bathroom and removed his clothes before standing under the shower for ten minutes. He tried to feel the water wash away the strange day, but even as he stood in front of the mirror cabinet above his sink and dried his hair with a towel, he found himself thinking about the Stark technologies commercial. Why would the Stark company have a logo exactly the same as his drawing.

“Wait a second...” Steve's eyes widened, “Stark...”. He looked in the mirror at his reflection and suddenly felt his body become a little heavier, “The company is named after the owner, who's name happens to be...Tony”.


	4. Chapter 4

**_T 25; S 26_ **

“Tony” Tony murmured looking at himself, or rather Steve, in the mirror. He ran his gaze over the wet golden locks clinging to his skull, that left small drops of water to run down his steaming skin. As soon as he met his own icy-blue gaze, his breath hitched. He didn't need his genius to work out that was his own breath and not Steve's. He was...well...gorgeous. Sexy even. And not Tony-Stark-sexy. This was a different kind, a kind he couldn't stop _looking_ at. But fate ripped the glorious sight away from him as he heard JARVIS wake him up.

Tony's eyes observed the usual bed-side table and he knew he was back as himself. He groaned as JARVIS spoke up, “Good morning Sir. The weather today is perfect for the launch of this year's convention which begins in approximately 6 hours and 43 minutes”.

“Thanks for the reminder” Tony grumbled sarcastically, and hauled himself up out of bed. He went straight to the bathroom and started the shower, attempting to wash away the heaviness of morning. He glanced at himself in the mirror, and then it hit him. “Wait a second...” He mumbled, “He said 'Tony'. He said my name. He was talking about a company...and he called my name”. He forced himself in the shower faster, eager to get his now racing mind to work without the blur of sleep. He thought back to the dream, Steve working and then suddenly fainting and then heading into one of his stores, and then standing in front of the mirror...and knowing his name. What if Steve, wasn't his imagination? What if he was...a real person? But that's crazy right?

“Sir, Ms Potts has arrived” JARVIS alerted and Tony decided to just try and forget about it for the time being. He dried off, got dressed and met Pepper in his kitchen. He planned to just come back to it later, but she sussed out something was up like always and coxed the info out of him.

**

“Thanks for this” Steve whispered to Bucky, as Bucky's date moved ahead of them a little in excitement.

“No problem, thanks for being my wingman” Bucky winked, and patted Steve on the shoulder.

Bucky had offered to give Steve his extra ticket to the Stark Expo convention, on the condition he helped him out on his current date. Steve didn't exactly want to be a spare part, but couldn't resist a free ticket to the biggest technology convention of the country. These tickets didn't come cheap, and it was the only method Steve could think of to see the man behind the name _Tony Stark_.

When it got to the opening speech and launch of the expo, the area was completely filled with people and Steve was happy he'd hurried here earlier, only one objective on his mind. It was a while before the presentation began, but soon enough the announcements were made, performances commenced and music filled everyone's ears as a dark-haired man entered the stage and caused an eruption of screams. He walked with confidence and a small smile that knew success. Steve already knew, this was Tony. _The_ Tony, that had filled his years with countless questions and insightful visions.

**

“Welcome all, to this year's Stark Technologies Expo. The past year has been a great one for us, and so much has been achieved” Tony began, and as he listed just what some of those things were the audience would applaud and he would nod appreciatively. “And although we may have come across some hurdles, as always we have jumped right on over them. In doing so...we have created some the best operating systems to date” He announced and everyone cheered in agreement. He began to smirk and allow his eyes to skim across the crowd. He was about to turn and present the usual announcement from his father but just as he prepared himself, his eyes caught onto someone he never thought he'd ever see. 

A pair of familiar icy-blue eyes looked back up at him from the front crowd surrounding the stage. They watched in awe and then flickered when they realised Tony was staring into them. “St-” Tony began to mumble to himself in shock, but then his head did a flip and his vision blurred, forcing him to sidestep and cling to the speech stand. The applause were slowing off, expecting him to speak again, but he couldn't get his head to stay still. It felt like he was heavily drunk and he was about to pass out at any moment. Just when he thought he might, he opened his eyes and his vision went back to at least something manageable.

His forced voice came out in a slight croak, “Ladies and gentleman, before we showcase the upcoming projects, I'd like to present the man who greets us every expo. My father, Howard Stark”. When the lights dimmed and the video began, Tony stumbled his way off stage. Pepper rushed on in the shadows and helped him, noticing something was wrong.

“Are you okay? What happened there?” She asked, helping him down the stairs.

“I...I don't really know, my eyes went fuzzy and--” Tony rambled but then what he just saw finally set in, “I saw Steve”.

“Steve?” Pepper blinked, eyebrow raised in confusion.

“I mean, I saw Steve in the crowd and then I went weird” Tony explained.

“Steve, like, dream-Steve? Here? How? How'd you even see him?” Pepper questioned, still not really wrapping her head around the whole thing.

“Yes Pepper, he's out there. I saw him” Tony nodded.

“But I thought you said, _you_ were him? How do you know what he looks like?” She pushed.

“Last night, I had a dream where I was him like usual and I was looking into a mirror. Then, he mentioned my company and he said my name. Pepper, he knows who I am and now he's _here_. I think Steve has clearly been a real person this whole time” Tony clarified. 

Pepper looked completely shocked and for once, she clearly didn't know what to say.

“I know” Tony laughed, taking a sip of water, “Crazy, but I can't think what else it could be”.

“Well, why the drunken sailor just now?” Pepper shrugged.

“I have no idea, I feel fine now” Tony shrugged back.

She bit her lip, “Are you sure? I'm not sure if you should go back out there...”.

“Pep, I'm fine. Want me to dance?” Tony offered.

“God no, just be careful. I'll stay here and keep an eye on you” She smiled wryly and Tony nodded in agreement.

**

“Hey Steve, how was the expo this weekend?” Steve's boss asked as Steve came into work on Monday.

“It was interesting. Some things I had to get Bucky to explain though” Steve admitted.

“Ah, James is a good kid. It was nice of him to take you along. Did he find a date?” His boss grinned and Steve smirked.

“Of course he did” The blond nodded.

“Well, he's enjoying his youth. Something I wish you would do a little more, Steve. You deserve it after all, you're a good man. _You_ got any dates lined up?” His boss asked, running a hand through his greying hair.

“Oh yeaaah, loads. Can't you see them outside?” Steve joked and the boss rolled his eyes.

“I'm surprised they're not. Strapping young man like you would have to bat people away to breathe. How many women have you had to politely turn down?” His boss smiled.

“Not as many as you think” Steve shrugged, opening a box of new jacket arrivals.

“Maybe they sense that you're batting for the other team. Let me finish unpacking this and you take that box of hangers to the stock room” The boss pointed and Steve nodded, swapping over.

He walked around and into the stock room, squeezing past a couple of rails. He walked over to a shelf and reached up to push the box on top of the other but as he removed his hand, his head began to spin and his hand automatically reached for the nearest object. As he steadied himself, a few of the boxes came toppling down over him and spreading their contents all over the floor.

His boss rushed in, hearing the noise, “Woah, what happened? You okay, Steve?”.

Steve, coming back to himself, nodded, “Yeah I'm fine. Just an accident”.

“You didn't get hit by these boxes did ya?” The boss checked.

“No, I guess I just had a dizzy spell or something. I'm fine, I'll just clear this stuff up” Steve assured, already on his knees to return the things where they were.

“...Okay but if you feel unwell, stop and take a break. No rush here, don't make yourself ill” The boss instructed and Steve nodded in understanding.

**

“Tony, what are you doing?” Pepper questioned as she came into the workshop and found Tony lying flat out on a surface.

“Well nothing now you've come in. JARVIS that's it for now, we'll carry on later” Tony called out as he sat back up from being disturbed.

“That's the second time I've caught you lying down in here, what's going on?” Pepper sighed, dropping some papers off as usual.

“Nothing...it's yoga” Tony shrugged.

Pepper frowned, “Seriously. What are you doing?”.

Tony sighed and rubbed his face, “If you must know Ms Potts, I'm learning...lucidity”.

“Lucidity? Like, lucid dreaming?” Pepper clarified and Tony nodded.

“Yes, exactly that” He confirmed.

“Why would you want to do that?” Pepper bit her lip.

“Because...I'm hoping to take control of my dreams. I want to be able to move in them, do what I want to in their environments. I'm hoping if I can do that...I may be able to communicate with Steve” Tony admitted.

“Tony...what happened at the expo two weeks ago...” Pepper began but Tony got up and began walking around the workshop.

“Save it Pepper, you don't have to tell me again” He announced and she did stop herself going further.

“Alright Tony. You know how to reach me if you need me. Get those papers signed” She nodded and walked back out the workshop, leaving Tony to climb right back up on the surface.

**

“Steve, I really don't know how to say this” The boss winced and he genuinely looked grief-struck.

Steve sighed, “It's okay, I was starting to expect it”.

“I'm sorry I have to let you go, really I am. You've been nothing but wonderful in these past few years and I'm saddened that it has to end here, but I have to think about the safety of not just other employees and customers but of you as well. If I can help you in any way, I'll do my utmost to do that” The boss offered and Steve smiled as much as he could, which wasn't a lot at the minute.

“Thanks and I'm sorry I've let you down. I enjoyed working here” Steve admitted.

His boss reassured him, “Oh no, you didn't let anyone down and it was a pleasure to have you. I hope another job arises for you as soon as possible and I'll give you a reference to help that happen”.

“Thank you sir” Steve nodded and he stood up ready to leave.

The boss shook his hand, “Good luck Steve. Maybe we'll run into each other again”.

“Maybe” Steve chuckled, “Goodbye”.

He headed outside, shared the news with his colleagues and said his farewells, before heading home and wondering what to do next. As he sat with a cup of coffee, his small flip-phone started to ring. Bucky's name was displayed on the lid.

“Hello?” Steve answered with a half-smile.

“Hey Stevey-boy. How are you?” Bucky asked and Steve knew it was just small-talk leading up to something.

“Not great. I got fired today” Steve admitted, not sure if he should in case he killed his friend's mood.

“You got fired?! For what?” Bucky questioned.

“For all my sleeping and fainting accidents. I understand, I'm putting people at risk and to be honest I was starting to make a mess” Steve shrugged.

“Have you been to the doctor yet?” Bucky sighed and Steve did the same.

“No, I know you said to go but I just--” He began.

“No more buts Steve. This could be something really serious. You've fainted twice and now you're falling asleep all the time, not to mention how you get so exhausted” Bucky interrupted, “If you don't go, I'm going to have to drag you”.

“Alright, alright. I get the idea” Steve assured, though he didn't know how he would pay bills without a job now, “So what did you phone for?”.


End file.
